Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
House Republicans are seeking answers from the J. David Gladstone Institutes regarding alleged antisemitic incidents and the institution's response to them. In a letter addressed to Gladstone President Dr. Deepak Srivastava, members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce (E&W) expressed concern over reports of antisemitic harassment at Gladstone.
The letter was signed by several committee chairs, including E&C Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, E&C Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie, E&C Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith, E&W Chair Virginia Foxx, and E&W Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Chair Burgess Owens.
In their communication, they noted: “The Gladstone Institutes, an independent biomedical research organization, claims that it takes an active stance against serious issues like discrimination and harassment... However, these values do not seem to be reflected in the actions of leadership in response to recent concerns of antisemitic harassment and discrimination within the Institutes.”
They further highlighted their worries about "the inadequate response by leadership," describing it as "a grave dereliction" of responsibilities.
The committees emphasized that failure to comply with safety protections or respond appropriately to harassment could lead to withholding federal funds from Gladstone. They stated: “Congress has an obligation to exercise oversight of recipients of federal funds when blatant and ongoing Title VI violations appear to be happening.”
Gladstone received over $41 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Fiscal Year 2023. Federal law mandates that institutions receiving such funds must maintain work environments free from discriminatory harassment.
Reports have emerged about a graduate student at Gladstone sending an email after a Hamas attack that was deemed antisemitic by faculty members. The email allegedly portrayed Palestinian actions as justified resistance against Israel. Despite concerns raised by Jewish faculty following this incident, there was no public statement issued by Gladstone leadership condemning antisemitism.
Additionally, there were allegations that Gladstone did not acknowledge Jewish American Heritage Month or other significant events for Jewish communities while recognizing other cultural celebrations.
The Center for Combatting Antisemitism reached out to President Srivastava in May 2024 but reportedly received no response despite multiple follow-ups. A Fair Employment and Housing Act complaint detailed instances where racial stereotypes were used against Jewish faculty without any investigation taking place.
Moreover, some affiliated institutions with ties to Gladstone are also under investigation for similar issues related to antisemitism. These include UCSF, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University.
For more information on this matter or inquiries about the full letter sent by House Republicans, contact details have been provided: Main line (202) 225-3641 or Press line (202) 226-4972.
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